Why is updating devices regularly an important security measure?

Imagine you are attending an online work meeting and your computer — or smartphone — is repeatedly notifying you of a new available update. Has this ever happened to you?

These update notifications are almost always ignored by users because they often take time to update the devices. Although at first we may be hesitant in accepting these changes, did you know that the updates recommended by our devices can often save us time in the long run?

By updating regularly, in addition to ensuring better usability of our devices, we also reinforce our own online security. 

After all, what do updates have to do with my safety?

An update is nothing more than a new version of an application or system. In general, these changes eliminate bugs, enhance device performance and, more importantly, fix security flaws. 

New vulnerabilities are discovered in program codes every day. Therefore, they need to be fixed as soon as possible to prevent cybercriminals from exploiting them for the most diverse purposes. 

Once the development teams resolve these issues, a more secure version is made available to users, who must then install the update so that these improvements are applied to their machines or devices.

In short, by updating your devices regularly, you ensure you are getting the latest security patches offered by the device manufacturers and, of course, ensure better protection for your data, as you will be removing several vulnerabilities. 

What are the risks of ignoring regular device updates?

The truth is, the longer we take to accept device updates, the more vulnerable we become in terms of digital security.

Cybercriminals are aware of older security breaches, which can be exploited more easily than you might think. Consequently, the risk of suffering a cyber attack is much greater. After all, certain vulnerabilities, which can be corrected with the new versions, are still there, ready to be exploited.

Also, keep in mind that if updates are not installed incompatibilities with the operating system and with other programs may be generated — and vice versa — which can affect your user experience. In addition to the security issue, the most recent versions of the software implement new functionalities and resources that enhance productivity when using the device.

Need more reasons to keep your device up-to-date? Here they are!

Here are a few to keep a device updated:

• software review; 

• operational fault repair; 

• removal of outdated problems and material;

• enhanced data protection and user privacy;

• lower device maintenance costs. 

Finally, it may be said that keeping your devices up-to-date is a very smart thing to do! You only need to wait a few minutes to ensure your safety and, by doing this, you can find out the latest features available for your device.

Article originally written in Portuguese by Perallis Security Content Team: Por que atualizar os dispositivos regularmente é uma medida de segurança importante? — Perallis Security